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.All Trips / Argentina / Chile / Food / South America
Exploring the Fjords of Patagonia: 8) Feasting at Sea
My final post for this adventure into the Patagonian fjords of Chile focuses on the very wonderful food we were served aboard the Australis. We received three meals a day in the ship’s dining room mostly (as I recall) buffet style, including hearty breakfasts with a large choice of items, a tasty lunch, but no question the highlight of our culinary day was dinner. We had four dinners aboard the Australis and I found each of them photogenic enough to be “documented”. I never planned on making a blog of what I ate, so I didn’t photograph everything — just those items that looked wonderful (and were!)
Besides the very tasty meals, the service of our crew throughout the ship was …
Tagged Appetizer, Australis, dessert, Entrée, fjordlands
“Pic of the Week”, May 1, 2020: Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires
On the eastern side of Plaza de Mayo stands a beautiful and impressive building known as Casa Rosada (“pink house”). It is thought that the color of the building comes from the 19th century habit of mixing cow’s blood with white paint. When it was built in the 19th century, it was overlooking the river although with subsequent landfill it is now well inland and more than a kilometer from the river.
The Casa Rosada houses the President of Argentina’s offices; the Presidential residence is in Olivas, north of here. The building is probably best know for It association with Eva Perón. It was from the Presidential balcony of Casa Rosada that she often addressed her many supporters in Plaza de Mayo, including her …
Apr 30, 2020
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.All Trips / Argentina / South America
Exploring the Fjords of Patagonia: 1) The Australis
There’s a fascinating leg of our Patagonian journey which I haven’t shared with you yet. We took a 4 day cruise into the Fjordlands at the southern end of South America, mostly coastal Chile and a bit of Argentina. This journey into Tierra del Fuego was a truly memorable adventure!
The cruise began at the Port in the frontier town of Puenta Arenas, Chile. Here we boarded the Chilean-owned adventure ship, Australis, which was to take us to the “uttermost end of the earth”. Australis is an expedition cruise company specializing in exploring the waterways of Tierra del Fuego, including the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Channel. The Australis is relatively small, carrying only about 200 passengers, which is very much to your advantage …
Tagged Argentina, Australis, Chile, fjordlands, Patagonia, Puenta Arenas, Tierra del Fuego
“Pic of the Week”, January 31, 2020: La Biela Cafe, Buenos Aires
You’ll find historic La Biela Café in the upscale neighborhood of Recoleta. La Biela is thought to be the oldest café in Buenos Aires, dating to the mid-19th century when the area was mostly farm fields. The café started serving refreshments to wealthy citizens from San Telmo who were traveling by horse and buggy to their vacation homes further north. La Biela is very close to the Recoleta cemetery and the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
The place is very popular with locals and tourists. In the past seventy years it has taken on a car-racing theme because it was a meeting place for motoring enthusiasts in the early days of car travel, and later …
Jan 30, 2020
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.All Trips / Argentina / South America
Buenos Aires’ unique Barolo Palace
There are many old and interesting buildings in Buenos Aires, but none caught our attention quite like the Palacio Barolo (Barolo Palace), situated on famous Avenida de Mayo.
The Barolo Palace was designed by Italian architect, Mario Palanti. He was given this commission by the original building owner, entrepreneur Luis Barolo, an Italian immigrant who made his fortune in wool and cotton textiles. When the Barolo Palace was finished in 1923 it was the tallest building in South America. It is 100 meters (330 ft) tall; subsequently a taller but similar appearing sibling was constructed, the Palacio Salvo, built by the same architect in Montevideo, Uruguay. And, of course, today’s Buenos Aires skyline contains many taller structures.
Graf Zeppelin Palacio Barolo 30 June 1934. Courtesy Wikimedia and National Archives of Argentina
The Palacio Barolo’s design was …
Tagged Barolo Palace, Buenos Aires, Palacio Barolo
“Pic of the Week”, March 29, 2019: Farmacia de la Estrella, Buenos Aires
Like many of you, I’d like to step back in time on occasions — at least as much as a particular spot will allow me to.
A visit to Farmacia de la Estrella on Defensa Street in Buenos Aires, near the Basilica de San Francisco, will take you back to the 19th century. Built in 1835, the pharmacy is still actively functioning and a busy place dispensing homeopathic remedies to those in need. It is said to be the oldest pharmacy in Buenos Aires.
The woodwork is original mahogany, and the murals are lovely. You’ll see lots of old jars from a time when medicine didn’t come in blisterpacks or disposable bottles. The pharmacy hasn’t changed much over the past two centuries and …
“Pic of the Week”, March 15, 2019: Cafe Tortoni, Buenos Aires
Situated on Buenos Aires’ busy Avenida de Mayo is a charming cafe that’s worth looking up. Cafe Tortoni was founded in 1856 by a French immigrant who fashioned it after Paris’ cafes of that era. To say he did a great job is an understatement. Walking in from the busy avenue does indeed seem like stepping into Van Gogh’s Paris.
Cafe Tortoni moved to its current location in 1880. It has remained largely unchanged since then.
We visited for coffee and a pastry with some friends during our stroll down Avenida de Mayo. Both the company and refreshment were excellent! And the ambience was most memorable.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance)
Mar 14, 2019
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“Pic of the Week”, December 14, 2018: A fine Crab Dinner in Ushuaia
I have to admit that before my trip to Patagonia I didn’t know the waters of the southern Pacific were home to king crab, much like you find off the coast of Alaska. While walking around the streets of Ushuaia, we found a number of restaurants that specialized in the cooking and serving of these large crustaceans. These places seemed busy and very popular with tourists, especially the Japanese groups, so my wife and I decided to splurge and share one of these monsters for our last dinner in southern Argentina.
The beasts are sold by the kilogram (sorry, can’t remember the price, but it wasn’t cheap). The crab is cooked and served to you intact on a large platter, as …
Dec 13, 2018
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